Regardless of the value or the size of the goods ordered from China, they will definitely end up at customs, where they will undergo a thorough inspection. The task of customs officers is to prevent prohibited goods, the categories of which could be listed for a very long time, from entering the country. Orders from AliExpress usually go through customs in just a few days without any problems and start moving through the country to the recipient’s city. If you see the status “Refused by Customs” in the tracking, something has gone wrong.
What does “Refused by Customs” mean at Aliexpress
Straight to the specific fact – importing goods into the recipient’s country is prohibited. But in a nutshell, it is not possible to understand why exactly customs did not allow the importation of goods.
This status indicates a customs ban on the import of these products into the recipient’s country. Each parcel undergoes a mandatory customs inspection. If the regulations have been violated, the goods are blocked. The shipment may be detained by Chinese customs or may not cross the border of your country.
Reasons for refusal of release by customs
Among the most common reasons for blocking are: the weight of the consignment exceeding the weight declared in the recommendation and errors made in the accompanying paperwork. There are also other factors that can provoke a refusal to release a consignment at Customs:
- You have ordered a large batch of identical goods. It does not matter whether it is from one seller or ten. In most cases such an order will raise questions at customs. More specifically, suspicion of commercial activity on the part of the buyer;
- The weight of the parcel is higher/lower than the declared weight. Yes, this is a really important factor that 100% will be checked by customs;
- Accompanying documents to the order are filled out incorrectly. There is nothing up to the buyer here. Because he has nothing to do with this documentation;
- Additional information is required from the recipient (i.e. you). Most often it is a TIN and passport details. If this is the reason for refusal at customs, that’s fine. There is a law that foreign online shops are not allowed to deliver to a buyer whose TIN is not listed. You need to contact the delivery service and provide the TIN. Do not forget that the number of this document has long been available in your personal account on AliExpress;
- The amount of the parcel is understated. If customs will verify this fact, a malicious violation, the parcel will definitely not go further. Agree, it’s strange that a laptop of a famous brand for some reason has a value of only $100. Could it be a fake? Then customs will seriously look into such an order;
- The item you ordered is prohibited for entry into the country. As mentioned above, there are a number of categories of goods which will not pass customs under any circumstances. For example, you have ordered a rare, stylish lighter. Well, what’s the big deal? Well, the item in question is classified as flammable. So it will be confiscated or sent back. Precious stones (we are not talking about finished jewellery), perishable goods, money in any currency will not get through customs. Note an important point – if you see that the goods have dozens of reviews from your country, it means that there are no questions to the customs.
As a rule, if the item turns out to be banned, the buyer will have no problems. Well, except for the problem that you will not receive the parcel. However, serious questions may arise if you order equipment which is disguised as other items. You bought a video camera pen for fun and it’s unmarked. Not only will you never get the goods, but you may also be questioned by the law as to whether you are a spy.
What to do if Customs has denied importation of an item from AliExpress
Sometimes there is nothing more required from the buyer than waiting. For example, the item has not passed customs due to an error in the accompanying document. This issue will be resolved without your involvement, after which it will arrive in the recipient’s country. If you receive a request for a TIN, it is logical that you should include the document – there are no other options.
There is little or no way for the buyer to speed up the resolution of the problem or have any influence on the situation when he receives the “Refused by Customs” status. After a few days, the parcel may be sent on its way once all the information or accompanying documentation required by Customs has been received. In the case of private logistics companies (such as DHL or IML), you should contact the customer service representatives to find out the reason for the delay at customs.
We can advise you to contact the shipping service responsible for your order. But it is not always possible to explain to you in detail what happened to your parcel. You have to realise that the delivery service has thousands of parcels, some of which have turned out to be problematic.
If a product is prohibited for entry into the country, it remains only to draw the appropriate conclusion for yourself and begin to study the material on what you can not order from Aliexpress.
As for the refund for an unreceived order, you already know everything – open a dispute and say that the package did not pass customs. Usually there are no problems with a refund in this situation.
If after a few days the parcel is sent back to China (the corresponding re-import status appears), you should contact the seller and open a dispute at Aliexpress. The rules of the marketplace oblige the seller to take responsibility for goods that have not gone through customs control. Therefore, in all likelihood the money will be refunded, but shipping costs may be deducted from the total amount. If you are refused a statement by an officer, you may visit your local Customs office and take with you
- original/copy of TIN and passport;
- a photo with a detailed description of the goods ordered
- an account statement confirming the fact of payment for the order.
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FAQ
When you make a purchase on Aliexpress, a popular online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers from all over the world, you may encounter situations where your package is refused by customs. Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) about what this means:
Conclusion
It’s worth taking action if the order is “frozen” at the “customs clearance” stage and doesn’t change its status for 7-10 days. If during a dispute on Aliexpress it turns out that the buyer himself is to blame for the refusal of customs clearance (e.g. weapons prohibited for entry into the country), it will be very difficult to get the money back. In other cases the problem is easily solved using one of the methods described above.
